This invention relates to vehicle bodies and, more particularly, to vehicle bodies such as tractor trailers which have a substantially monocoque construction.
A wide variety of constructions are known for vehicle bodies and tractor trailers. Typical tractor trailers include a floor supported by a wheel assembly near a rear end and adapted to be supported by coupling to a trailer via a fifth wheel assembly at a forward end. Retractable front legs typically are provided on the trailer at the front forward end. Side walls extend upwardly from the floor and are coupled a roof and a front bulkhead.
In a true monocoque structured trailer, the side walls, roof and bulkhead do not utilize any supporting frame and may rely, for example, on the panels forming the side walls, roof and forward bulkhead to provide strength to the trailer. Such side walls, roof and bulkhead may preferably comprise continuous panels of fibreglass reinforced plywood. The advantage of such monocoque type construction is that the side walls are of relatively thin width as to maximize the interior width available for use inside the trailer. A disadvantage of such a monocoque construction is that the side walls are relied on to provide longitudinal support to the floor and, if cut or damaged, can result in the initial point failure which initial failure subsequently may tear or expand to result in a complete structural failure. The tendency for such failure is appreciated by the inventor as being particularly acute intermediate the wheel assembly and the fifth wheel assembly. Cutting and damage of the side walls may result unless protection is provided inside the trailer to damage by forklifts particularly forklifts with racking used to load and unload the trailers.
Many known monocoque type trailers as with fibreglass reinforced plywood in existence. These existing trailers have the disadvantage that their walls are open to be damaged as by forklifts in loading and unloading.
To at least partially overcome these disadvantages of previously known devices, the present invention provides a construction for a cargo trailer side wall providing a plurality of horizontal scruff rails to extend farthest inwardly from the side wall and a plurality of post framing segments which do not extend inwardly past the scruff rails, the framing segments interconnecting one or more of the scruff rails and/or the floor and roof so as to provide a structural frame member reinforcing the side wall.
The present invention also provides a construction for a side wall of a roof trailer including a fibreglass reinforced wall panel having a plurality of spaced horizontal scruff rails, which do not extend inwardly past the scruff rails, secured to an inner surface of the wall panel and with one or more reinforcing framing segments secured between the scruff rails or between the scruff rails and the floor or roof of the trailer to provide for a vertical structural member or a horizontal structural member over a portion of the wall.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction for a cargo trailer wall which optimizes the internal space provided between side walls.
Another object is to provide in a monocoque type trailer with vertical or horizontal reinforcement of a side wall including horizontal scruff rails.
Another object is to provide a construction which is adapted to retrofit existing monocoque type trailers.
Another object is to provide, in a monocoque type trailer which includes a bottom rail along each side wall joining the side wall to the roof and a top rail along each side wall joining the side wall to the floor, a convenient structure inwardly of horizontal extending scruff rails for structurally connecting the bottom rail to the top rail.
Another object is to provide in a monocoque type trailer construction including a bottom rail along the bottom of each side wall joining each side wall to a floor, an improved construction including a horizontal scruff rail and a horizontal beam member secured between the scruff rail and a bottom rail with the beam member to not extend inwardly past the scruff rail.
Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention provides a cargo trailer for use with a motorized vehicle,
said trailer comprising:
a wheel assembly,
a floor supported by said wheel assembly,
two side walls extending upward from respective longitudinal sides of said floor,
a roof,
a front bulkhead,
a bottom rail along the bottom of each side wall joining each side wall to the floor, and
a top rail along the top of each side wall joining each side wall to the roof;
each side wall comprising:
a wall panel including an outer surface and an inner surface,
a plurality of elongate horizontal scruff rails secured to the inner surface of the panel spaced vertically from each other, and
at least one set of a plurality of vertically extending post segments, each post segment having an upper end and a lower end,
a lowermost of the scruff rails spaced upwardly from the bottom rail,
an uppermost of the scruff rails spaced downwardly from the top rail,
each rail having an upper side portion and a lower side portion with a central rub portion therebetween extending farthest inwardly from the inner surface of the panel, each set of the post segments comprising:
a lower post segment having its lower end secured to the bottom rail and its upper end secured to the lower side portion of lowermost scruff rail,
an upper post segment having its upper end secured to the top rail and its lower end secured to the upper side portion of upper most scruff rail, and
intermediate post segments each having its lower end secured to the upper side portion of a scruff rail immediately there below and its upper end secured to the lower side portion of a scruff rail immediately there above,
the post segments in each set disposed in line with one another to present a continuous vertically extending structural member connecting the bottom rail to the top rail via the post segments of the set and the intervening scruff rails,
each post segment disposed such that most inwardly directed portions of each post segment do not extend inwardly past the central rub portion.
In a further aspect, the present invention provides a cargo trailer for use with a motorized vehicle,
said trailer comprising:
a wheel assembly,
a fifth wheel pickup assembly spaced forwardly from the wheel assembly,
a floor supported by said wheel assembly,
two side walls extending upward from respective longitudinal sides of said floor,
a roof,
a front bulkhead, and
a bottom rail along the bottom of each side wall joining each side wall to the floor;
each side wall comprising:
a wall panel including an outer surface and an inner surface,
a plurality of elongate horizontal scruff rails secured to the inner surface of the panel spaced vertically from each other, and
a lowermost of the scruff rails spaced upwardly from the bottom rail,
each rail having an upper side portion and a lower side portion with a central rub portion therebetween extending farthest inwardly from the inner surface of the panel,
the floor comprises a plurality of spaced horizontal beams extending between the bottom rails,
the wheel assembly includes bogey rails extending parallel the bottom rails under the beams,
the pickup assembly includes at least one structural member extending parallel the bottom rails under the beams,
each side wall including a side wall reinforcing beam member having an upper end and a lower end,
the side wall reinforcing beam member having its lower end secured along its length to the bottom rail and its upper end secured along its length to the lower side portion of lowermost scruff rail,
the side wall reinforcing beam member substantially spanning between a forwardmost end of the bogey rails and a rearwardmost end of the structural member of the pickup assembly,
each side wall reinforcing beam member disposed such that most inwardly directed portions of each side wall reinforcing beam member do not extend inwardly past the central rub portion.